Edible Herbs and Spices??

[Jessy]

I'm looking for a good list of edible herbs and spices to use in rituals... but google's not being very helpful - i've come to the best... please give me at least 10 edible spices used in most rituals... and some herbs. :^^: That'd be great... thanks.

[Clive]

Re: Edible Herbs and Spices??

Some of the most common are:

Cinnamon
Allspice
Cloves
Ginger
Black pepper
Basil
Thyme
Sage
Marjoram
Rosemary
Vanilla
Nutmeg
Mace
Lavender
Anise
Star anise
Licorice root
Cumin
Garlic
Damiana
Ginseng
St. John's wort
Wintergreen leaf (avoid the essential oil, it is toxic)
Fennel
Dill (weed and seed)
Bay laurel
Lemongrass
Parsley
Peppermint (and most other mints)
Dandelion (leaf and root)
Rose (petals, hips, buds)
Hibiscus
Citrus peels (lemon, lime, and orange are most common)
Red/chili pepper
Stinging nettles
Hops
Valerian root
Chamomile
Skullcap
Cardamom
Mugwort (slightly toxic, but can be consumed safely in small amounts by most people)

That's all I can think of for now. Do remember that it's important to research any herb or spice you plan to ingest or burn. Some people have allergic reactions to certain substances, some should not be ingested by pregnant women, etc.

[thalassa]

Re: Edible Herbs and Spices??

How do you want to use them? Like...a tea? In a baked item? And what sort of ritual? I only use herbs in ritual if they *fit* the ritual...
That being said, any herb for tea or cooking is edible--just figure out what the safe amount is (more is not better in this regard!), and by looking up its correspondences, you can easily see if it would be useful for a ritual...or you can go the route of looking up the correspondence, seeing what herbs are associated and seeing if and how they are edible.

Unfortunately, I don't know of any super handy list without doing work to figure it out!

[Ophidia]

Re: Edible Herbs and Spices??

Pretty much any herb or spice you find in your kitchen has a magic(k)al application of some sort.

I picked a few from Clive's list:

Cinnamon - associated with fire and fiery deities like Mars/Ares, often used with Dragon's Blood in incenses & oil blends. Protective, passionate - can be used to attract or repel.

Black pepper - also a fiery spice, used in banishings, turn-back/reversal spells, protective spells. It's combined with gunpowder in certain Vodou rituals.

Sage - probably one of the most commonly used kitchen herbs. It's used for offerings, cleansings and blessings. It's used to smudge homes and people after spiritual cleansings, and to bless ritual spaces.

Rosemary - sacred to most Mother deities, including the Virgin Mary. Even though it's got volatile oils and an airy nature, it's considered a watery herb. Many people include it in love spells, but in my work I've found it to be best when included in spells to keep a relationship healthy and to keep people together rather than attract new loves.

Vanilla - this is a spice that's very attractive to men and can be used by both sexes for that purpose. It's also used in a lot of spells to increase money or business.

Nutmeg - if you have a whole nutmeg, you can bore a hole in it and place lodestones (magnets) in it, and then seal it with wax to be used as a gambling charm. Traditionally, they were filled with mercury, but that's no longer suggested for obvious reasons.

Lavender - similar to sage in its cleansing and blessing capacity. Good to use in sleep & meditation pillows, dreamwork, that kind of thing.

Garlic - highly protective stuff, also favored by deities of war

Damiana - although this is used as a spice in some Mexican & South American cooking, it's not something you'd find at the local big-name grocery stores. It's considered an aphrodisiac.

Wintergreen leaf (avoid the essential oil, it is toxic)/Peppermint - most mints are used in money & business spells, and also during winter holiday rituals.

Dill (weed and seed) - an herb of air, sacred to Mercury/Hermes. Good for retention of knowledge when studying, or use in incenses to liven conversation at parties.

Rose (petals, hips, buds) - love love love love & love deities

Citrus peels (lemon, lime, and orange are most common) - citruses (at least lemons & oranges) add energy to any spell, and can be used in spells for energy & stamina.

Red/chili pepper - another fiery herb, good in protective, revenge & banishing spells

There are so many encyclopedias/wikis/web pages on the magical uses of herbs, it's kind of hard to believe you had a hard time finding anything of use to you.

Here's a couple I found - I used 'kitchen herbs used in magic' as a search term

http://onewitchsway.com/2010/04/herbal-magick-in-your-kitchen/

http://www.angelfire.com/on/wicca/Herbs.html (it's got obnoxious music on autoplay)

http://terion.hubpages.com/hub/Magic-Kitchen-Herbs

http://ladyamythyst.webs.com/magickalherbs.htm (another one with obnoxious music and an animated mouse trail, yay)

http://www.herb-magic.com/

http://www.suite101.com/content/a-kitchen-witchs-garden-a71417

[Clive]

Re: Edible Herbs and Spices??

I'mma try to pick up where Perze left off.

Allspice - Fiery spice related to Mars, used to attract luck, especially where finances are concerned.

Cloves - Again related to Fire and Mars. Can be used to strengthen any spell, especially those meant to draw money, love, protection, banishing, or adding spice to your relationship.

Ginger - Fire and Mars once again (do we see a pattern among the spices?). Ginger is said to aid the magician if it is eaten before performing magic by "heating" them up. Can be used in prosperity magic and is often used in love spells, but is probably best used when looking to heat things up with your lover. Also used in healing, especially when dealing with the digestive system.

Basil - Guess who? Yep, Fire and Mars. Basil is frequently used in money-attracting spells, but is most useful in drawing customers to a business, which is why Spanish prostitutes used to wear the scent of basil. It is also often cited as a love-attracting herb, reason being that it helps to smooth out arguments and promote compromise and understanding. Basil is also protective and strongly cleansing.

Thyme - Related to Venus and either Water or Air, depending on whom you ask. Thyme is used in love spells, healing magic, and is burned to purify the area; the Ancient Greeks often burned thyme in their temples to purify them.

Marjoram - Sacred to Aphrodite. Added to food to strengthen relationships, said to avert evil when planted in the garden, and its scent eases sadness and depression.

Mace - Being the outer coating of a nutmeg, their uses are virtually identical. Powdered mace is often used in money-luck spells and in sharpening the intellect.

Anise - Purifying and protective. Often placed in dream pillows to guard against nightmares.

Star anise - Most often used to open one's Third Eye and aid in clairvoyance. Also used to attract good luck.

Licorice root - Watery and related to Venus, said to arouse passion and ensure fidelity in a relationship. Also supposed to cure toothaches and break bad habits by chewing on the roots.

Cumin - This spicy seed is protective and is especially useful in guarding one's possessions against theft.

Ginseng - Firey, sacred to the Sun. Probably owing to its medicinal use in treating depression, anxiety, and erectile dysfunction, ginseng is used magically to protect one's health, guard against evil, and arouse sexual passion.

St. John's wort - A Firey, Solar herb; sacred to Baldur. Another natural anti-depressant, St. John's wort wards off physical and mental illness, banishes sadness, and promotes general well-being.

Fennel - Sacred to Dionysus. Generally protective. Also aids in healing spells, especially those concerning dieting and weight loss.



Anyhoo, I wanted to post some videos along with this; there used to be some good ones on YouTube but it seems they've been overtaken by commercial bullcrap and legal alternatives to marijuana. I would follow Perze's advice and keep browsing Google. You just gotta figure out the right search terms.

[thalassa]

Re: Edible Herbs and Spices??

Don't forget cardamom--particularly with damiana, and infused in red wine it makes a potent and drinkable potion for passion (ooh! that was fun alliteration!)

And chamomile, which can be cooked with--steeped in either the water or milk required for a recipe (obviously with a recipe the flavor would go well with), or made into a simple syrup---chamomile and strawberry go well together IMO.

Honeysuckle FLOWERS (berries are poisonous), which you can find all spring and summer--and you are doing nature a favor to take all you want since they are an invasive species, can be seeped into tea, which has anti-microbial properties and magically for health/healing, love, luck, creativity and divination.

Juniper berries can be made into a tea, jam, syrup or as a flavoring...medicinally its good for GI issues and as a diuretic, and magically for exorcism, healing, health and love.

Dill seed for $, lemongrass for psychic awareness and purification, marjoram for happiness, parsley for purification and protection, and candied violet flowers for love...Most fruits and veggies--apples, strawberries, blackberry, etc--also have correspondences to consider as well...as are most nuts and seeds--like almond, sunflower seed, etc.

[LiadanWillows]

Re: Edible Herbs and Spices??

good collection of info here guys. thanks!

[Clive]

Re: Edible Herbs and Spices??

Expounding further on my original list:

Bay Laurel - Corresponds to Fire and the Sun. Used most frequently in purification and protection; wards negativity. It can also be used to induce visions and to bring success to endeavors; the Ancient Greeks crowned victors at sporting events with wreaths of laurel and prophets at Delhi were said to inhale the smoke of the burning leaves.

Parsley - An Airy herb, parsley is heavily related to purification due to its medicinal property of cleansing odors and poisons from the body.

Dandelion - Airy, related to Jupiter or the Sun. The leaves can be eaten fresh in salads and the roots are baked and ground into a coffee-like drink. These are not only nutritious but can also aid psychic work.

Hibiscus - Water herb, related to Venus. Hibiscus makes a tasty, fruity tea which is high in vitamin C and can be used in magic to draw love or induce lust.

Stinging nettles - Firey herb, related to Mars. The young fresh leaves of nettles can be eaten fresh or used in soups and are high in vitamins and minerals. Made into a tea the stinging nettle cleanses impurities from the body. Often used in protection, binding, healing, and purification spells.

Hops - Airy, related to the Sun or Mars. Used in healing spells and those designed to induce slumber. Medicinally it is a relaxant.

Valerian root - Related to Water and Venus. Most often made into a tea or tincture used to induce sleep - it is a powerful sedative. Can be used in charms to ward off evil (probably due to its smell, which most people find foul), promote peace in the home, and is said to draw men to women.

Chamomile - Belongs to the Element Earth and the Sun. Another relaxant, it is also used to draw success in financial and romantic affairs, and an infusion of chamomile can be sprinkled about to ward off evil.

Skullcap - Watery or Earthy, related to Saturn. Promotes peace and fidelity. Medicinally it is good for headaches and earaches.

Mugwort - Elemental Earth, related to the Moon and is sacred to Diana and Artemis. Made into a tea it prepares one for ritual and promotes psychic awareness. This tea can also be used to clean magic mirrors and gazing crystals. When carried or placed into one's shoes it promotes strength and protection - its legendary powers include the ability to withstand gunshots and attacks by ferocious animals. The ancients put it in their shoes before long journeys on foot to ensure that they would not wear themselves out.

[volcaniclastic]

Re: Edible Herbs and Spices??

Somebody should sticky this.